Emotionless
by Harvey-Specter
Summary: Harvey Specter was the best closer in New York. He did his job and got where he is today by not getting attached. But when he hires Cora as a senior associate, that becomes harder than it once was. Harvey and Cora are given a personal case that could lead to the arrest of some close to her, and she can't handle the fact that the mighty Harvey Specter might loose.
1. Coincidental Encounter

I shut the creaky oak door to my apartment and put my phone onto shuffle mode. I start to run out the dark alleyway onto the main street, which happens to be across from the firm of Pearson Specter Litt. My soon to be workplace.

The morning air cold upon my face… refreshing. I don't often go for runs, but today I will be meeting Louis Litt, and I'm going to need to show him that it was right for him to hire me. I will be the best associate he has ever seen.

I frown at the time reading on my phone as I run through the city. The brisk morning breeze flies past my ears, muffling the sounds of the city around me.

I ignore the things around me as I recheck the time I had to get to the interview, that is before I knock into someone. I drop my phone on the ground. My face is now in his gray hoodie. Angry, I pull away.

I look up to see someone annoyed, staring right back at me. He looks at me as though I was a complete klutz. Well… I guess I was. I try not to laugh at his fancily styled hair, _how much gel did he use to get it like that._

"Watch where you're going," He says in a blunt tone. I fumble to pick up my phone of the ground, checking for cracks on its screen. I look up to him, pissed, before he walks around me and jogs of.

"Asshole" I whisper under my breath. I hate people who thought they were better than everyone because they earned more money… or for whatever reason that guy had.

I continue on my jog, looking up to the skyscrapers surrounding me, engulfing me. Suddenly at the realization, I might not be cut out for this, not in the big leagues.

"Thank you, Cora, I will give you your signing bonus when you start tomorrow" Louis Litt, my new boss, smiles. His buck teeth front and center in my line of view. Trying not to cringe I shake his hand firmly, his sweaty palms feeling uncomfortable on my hand. _Was I willing to work with this creep?_ I ask myself _all protégés start somewhere._

"Now get out," he says, changing his voice to an almost angry tone. After all, he says he manages all associates like this, I must be no exception.

"No problem" I smile. I straighten my black and white checkered dress, which was a bit larger on me than I had once thought. I open the glass door to exit his large corner office, the door chattering with the rest of the glass in his office. I nod to his secretary Gretchen on my way out.

My throat feels dry as I look around, trying to find a room that looks like a kitchen, but with no luck. I manage to work up the courage to ask the nearest person to me where it might be. I see a woman, about mid 60s with curly black hair, sitting in a cubical. _Secretary,_ I think to myself, walking up to her, straightening my posture to seem confident.

"Hi, do you happen to know where the associ-" I get cut off before I manage to finish my question. The lady now directing her view at a man standing at an office door, who I assume must be her boss.

"Gretchen, organize a meeting with-" The handsome man stops as his eyes lock to mine. I realize that he was the person who bumped into me earlier… _of course he is_. He is now dressed in a dashing pinstripe suit and vest, if I do say so myself. "Who are you?" He asks rudely. _maybe this guy enjoys being rude to other people._

"I'm Louis Litt's new senior associate and I was just asking-" He cuts me off for the second time. He looks back and forth between me and the lady I now know as Donna, like he didn't believe a word I said.

"Louis gets an associate?" He questions more to himself than me or his secretary, still in disbelief. I don't understand what he's so confused about. He motions for me to follow him into his office and at first I hesitate, but end up following him in anyway.

"So Louis hired you, that means your not an average Harvard graduate," He says to himself. Well… the statement wasn't directed at me.

I look at him confused as he sits thinking, "I'm not following…" I state. I look around his office in awe, his office was the same size as Louis' but it was much nicer and more decorated. Also, unlike Louis, he didn't have dozens of frames of himself on his desk.

"If Louis gets an associate I must too, Mikes a partner now so I could hire you," He continues thinking out loud. But this statement was more directed at me this time, as if he was trying to get my opinion. I sit there in silence waiting for him to ask me a proper question.

"Louis only hires the best," He pauses briefly, before smiling "Why should I hire you?" He questions, finally looking up at me, eyes wide. As confusing as this situation is, I assume I may as well give this a shot.

Stuttering, I answer slowly "I was already hired by Louis?". I could tell by the look on his face, that was not the answer he wanted.

"Trust me, you'd rather work for me." He grins. I smile back to him, holding back a laugh. I could always come in tomorrow and work for both of them, then choose soon enough…. But I couldn't keep that secret from Louis.

"Arrogant and cocky isn't what I look for in my employers" I laugh. I take a quick look at some of the sheets down on his desk, cases. A pro bono case catches my eye, not exactly what I would assume a corporate lawyer in his status to be wasting time on.

He smiles at me, trying to think of some smart comeback to that. He's most likely like any other senior partner I've worked for in my carrier, a dick. "What about handsome?"

"Did I not mention arrogant?" I smile back, picking up a few of the cases and standing up, beginning to pace the room. "Trust me I'll be the best god damn associate you have ever seen" I look up at him.

"You're pretty cocky yourself, you've got some boots to fill" He says cockily. He soon gets up from his side of the desk and walking over to my seat. "I'll test you like my other associate, fire up that laptop and give me a topic"

I walk slowly over to his side of the desk, shutting the laptop and grinning at him just like he did to me, sitting back and getting comfortable in his desk chair. "Who said I needed a laptop?"

"Alright hot shot, show me what you've got"


	2. Specter or Litt?

I stride out of the small shaft elevator as I reach the floor of Pearson Specter Litt. I smile at the people I pass, but not giving any of them a second glance.

I walk directly up to Louis' secretary, Donna. I smile, waiting for her to look up from the computer. After a few seconds, she looks up to me knowing what I was going to say.

"Go in" She says, smiling slightly at me as I nod to her. I pull open his office door and sit down on his uncomfortable black leather couches. I lean forward with my elbows on my knees, waiting a bit impatiently.

I think about how I could break this to him, or if I should tell him at all. I could work for both Louis and Harvey and just hope Louis doesn't find out. But I couldn't keep this from Esther, and what's to stop her from telling him.. after all he is her brother.

He comes into the office, a grin spread across his face as he sees me. I don't dare smile back to him as he begins to talk.

"Cora, I was just about to talk to you. I need you to work on a brief-" he stops as I cut him off, wanting to get this whole thing done with. I'm almost certain Harvey will have double the work Louis would have given me.

"Louis I can't work for you, I have another job offer, and I took it last night," I say frowning. Making a clean break is best, but knowing him he continues to walk towards me, but I start talking again before he can say anything.

"Its a better fit for me, I'm sorry" I continue, not really knowing what he was about to say next.

"So I got you an office for nothing?" He says, angrier than earlier and sweating around his forehead like he had to pay an arm and a leg to get me that office. "I kicked out Henderson, who by the way was a junior partner, to get you an office close to me"

"Not exactly..." I trail off, looking away to avoid awkward eye contact. Seeing the confused look on his face I answer his next question. "Harvey Specter gave me a job" I mumble, now noticing his face going red, his eyes even angrier than before.

"I manage the associates, so you have to answer to me too. Now get out of my god damn office" He says in an angry voice but his tone firm as he points towards the door. _Yes I know where the door is, asshole_

I frown at him, realizing that what I did was a good choice and that I shouldn't care what Louis has to say about it. I walk out of that office with my head held high, nodding at Donna on my way out. I walk directly to the other side of the open corridor to the opposite corner office, Harvey's office.

"There is something called knocking" Harvey looks at me in a fake annoyed expression. I smile, standing across from his side of the desk and leaning down on the table before he continues talking.

"I need you to talk to these clients with me, Bratton Gould are poaching them, again," He says, handing me a file. His hand brushes against mine as I grab it and flip through a few documents. "Find out their weak spot to get them to stay"

"Got it" I smile to him, his obvious straight to business approach, most likely how he wins so many cases. Sorry... settles so many cases. I walk over to the door with the file under my arm and look back over to Harvey.

"I'm going to get a coffee from the bagel cart, want anything?" I ask, recalling that Donna mentioned it to me yesterday. Maybe getting him something would get me on his good side, or at least his not hated side.

"Didn't Donna tell you, I go out there for alone time." He grins like I should have done my research on the great Harvey Specter. It hadn't really fazed me he was such a big deal in this city. Though a look at some client responses, he most definitely was the best closer in New York City.

I nod and turn back out the door about to leave before he quickly says something "And Cora..." He yells so I don't miss it, and I spin back around, waiting for him to go on. "Welcome to Pearson Specter Litt" He smiles and I smile back before walking back out his office.

It's surprising Louis gave me such a nice office, it was decent in size too. I grabbed the handful of things that I put there last night when Louis told me he had an office for me. I put a frame of me and my parents near my laptop and put a jar of pens next to it. I also hang a canvas of the New York City skyline at Dusk above a bookshelf they had put there before I arrived.

I had just realized something about Harvey. With his strong, no feelings attitude, he had still put up a frame that was quite the opposite. That confused me for a second until someone stopped me in my thoughts as they walked in my office.

"Cora, welcome. Senior associates rarely get such a large office, I expect you to earn it" The tall woman smiled. I soon noticed that it was Jessica Pearson, the managing partner, before smiling back.

"Of course" I smile, moving a piece of hair to behind my ear. Ms. Pearson's' long, black hair cascading down her shoulders and down to her waist. Her piercing brown eyes staring at me knowingly.

She nods before walking out. My first day at this firmed seemed to begin so much better than I had thought it might. Then again I had only been here for an hour, what could go wrong now?


	3. 2 am

"That went well" Harvey smiles as we walk out of the cafe onto the crowded and loud Manhattan street. We had just secured the last client that Bratton Gould had came after, hopefully.

"According to you" I laugh, taking a sip of the takeaway coffee I ordered, burning the inside of my mouth, but feeling good on the cold winter day. The loud and obnoxious taxi drivers on the street made it hard to hear what he was saying.

He looks to me as if I'm an idiot, taking my coffee cup and throwing in a bin as we pass by. I give him a pissed look before he smiles "According to me? According to me is the only according to that matters". He opens the door into his car, Ray nodding his head to him.

I was about to get in until he shuts the door on me. Not long after he winds the car window down to talk "Catch a cab".

I laugh at that, signaling a taxi as it pulls up near by me. I open the car door and sit in the uncomfortable, rough fur seats in the back and tell the driver "Pearson Specter Litt" I laugh, he looks over to me, nods, and turns back to the wheel, driving back onto the main street.

** Two Days Later **

"Where do you think you're going?" I hear a familiar voice say as I pack up files from my desk into my bag. I look up to see Harvey smiling at me from the doorframe, noticing the blue case file under his arm. _I'm not going home anytime soon._

"Home. Its where normal people go at 9 at night" I laugh, with a bit of uncertainty lacing my voice, knowing Harvey probably doesn't leave the office until much later "Oh right, you aren't normal people" I add, putting my bag down anticipating that I won't be going home soon right now, knowing by the look on his face and the case in his hand.

He gives me a fake smile "Very funny. But Travis Tanner has accused me of bribing a witness, you're staying to help me build a defense to get this thing thrown out before trial" He says now in a serious tone, like he is in serious danger. I remember the sentence for bribery, 18 months.

"Did you do it?" I ask seriously, taking the file from his hand and looking through it, he was definitely not joking around.

"The client did…" He trails off, like that part wasn't important to the case. I look up to him longer this time, analyzing him. He had been sweating, his collar was slightly wet, his hair messier than earlier. Looks like he was worried about this too, after all it would ruin is pristine reputation.

"In the file room, look through every case Tanner has ever been on and find any dirt you can. We've done it before, there's something in there" He continues, I nod in agreement. It seems like a decent assumption that a dirty lawyer would of crossed more than a few lines to win some cases, after all he is like Harvey, lying is his nature. But does Tanner have integrity?

"Got it" I smile, putting the case file under my arm and walking from behind my desk to Harvey's side and pat him on the back, not feeling too natural but somewhat comforting at the same time "Good night Harvey"

He laughs, smiling the most perfect smile. There really isn't anything better than the Specter smile, it could make any girl weak at the knees "You didn't think I was staying too?" He laughs, buttoning his jacket and now standing to face me "Now lets get this done shall we" I laugh slightly as we begin to walk to the file room, grabbing the boxes marked Tanner Cases and dropping them on the table in conference room B.

"I found it" I yell in excitement, Harvey's head perking up from the stack of papers and files surrounding him and looking at me, his eyes wide open. He looked like a deer stuck in the headlights if I was to describe his current appearance.

"What'd you find?" he asks, more serious than happy, moving some of the files away from his face so I can see him better. I wave the file in the air, relief filling my body. I knew Harvey would owe me for this, he was in major trouble, but we both wouldn't dare admit it.

"Tanner was accused of intent to commit fraud one day, and it was gone the next... with a settlement of barely anything. That's some shady shit" I slide the file to Harvey, he reads through it, his smile growing more and more each sentence he reads before sliding it back across the glass table to me, getting up and standing over me, looking down on a few papers near me.

"We got him" He grins, I start to laugh that Harvey's plan actually worked. Travis Tanner had definitely bribed that attorney and we both knew that. I felt differently for Harvey after tonight, like we kind of grew on each other the past week I've been here, but it was too early to tell if we could actually be anything (because I sure wanted us to be), but I knew he would shut me it out if I ever brought it up.

"Hell yeah we do" He murmurs, leaning over me and placing his hand on the table, accidently on top of mine. I feel awkward and begin to blush, my cheeks turning bright crimson and he quickly takes his hand away, walking back to his side of the room, also embarrassed as his hand reaches up and rubs the back of his head.

"Bring those documents to the deposition tomorrow at 10 sharp" he says quickly, trying to wrap things up. We both wanted to go home, it was 2 am and we had finally found something. I tried not to make eye contact or that would make the situation even worse.

"Will do," I say, gathering my files and placing them in a small bag, slinging it over my shoulder and down my back before I quickly rush out of the conference room, leaving Harvey there to clean up the boxes of documents.

This was the first time I've seen Harvey the slightest bit flustered… why?


End file.
